Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected marginalised populations globally. With most schools being closed, and online education emerging as a common substitute, children from underprivileged backgrounds have been the worst hit. Not surprisingly, gender has added an additional layer to this disenfranchisement. In India, numerous girls at the intersections of gender, class and other structural hierarchies like caste, have little or no access to devices to smartphones or tablets. They also may be the first to be whisked away from their studies towards domestic duties. Even boys face the burden of their gender: the economic crisis brought about by the pandemic is going to push them towards child labour.

Given this context, we undertook a survey of 3176 households across five states in India – Assam (five districts), Bihar (eight districts), Uttar Pradesh-UP (11 districts) and Telangana (four districts), and Delhi (one district) in order to understand three critical aspects – 1) The impact of Covid-19 on the livelihoods and earnings of families living on the margins and its relationship with the education of children. 2) The impact of school closures and lockdown on girls’ education, including the changes in the social and familial environment that could impact enrolment and retention of girls in schools. 3) The landscape of the institutional and policy interventions with potential or intent to mitigate the adverse impact of Covid-19 on girls’ education. This report explores this impact and discusses the results of the survey study, finding severe implications for families and inadequate government response towards the same in terms of relief. The report also provides some key recommendations for mitigating such shocks.

Ghatak, N., Yareseeme, AS., & Jha, J. (2020). Life in the time of Covid-19: mapping the impact of Covid-19 on the lives of school-going children especially girls in India. Bengaluru: Centre for Budget and Policy Studies.